Professor

Even during the good run of results, I have been saying that Alan Pardew seems to be too wedded to the 4-5-1 system. Pards has shown he will switch to 4-4-2 when the game is going against the team but then reverts to the defensive system for the next game. Its not only the system, as better players should always get a better result, so Antonio and Connolly in the team seem to make a difference, but 4-4-2 from the start might be the key.

Its almost a shame that Saints will win this game, because that Barry Hearne has always seemed to be such a nice man. I wonder if Steve Davis is still the main striker.

But it also a fact that the win only came after changing the system. How is that to the credit of 4-5-1? It is to Pards credit that he is willing to change tactics during the game, but there is no getting away from the fact that this is a defensive formation, that has more of a place in away games, less so at home. If the opinion is extremely bizarre, its strange that there are many respected football people with reservations about 4-5-1.

Maybe to talk about Antonio?

After the MK Dons game, Saints have scored more goals than Leeds, who are current league leaders and only 3 teams have scored more goals than Saints. Given the slow start, as the squad was being built this is quite a remarkable performance. With Adam Lallana featuring high in the goal scorer's list from midfield, and two prolific strikers in Lambert and Connolly this is becoming truly exciting. Can they keep it up? How will we feel iwhen we only win by one odd goal? And which club is going to get an absolute hiding (Brighton, maybe?)

A win is where you score more goals than the other team. The game against Torquay was 2-2. Thats a draw, isnt it? Saints went through to the next round on penalties, but did not win the match. The run of 4 league wins is a great performance, and there's every chance of extending it against Leyton O.

There is a lot of debate in football circles that 4-5-1 is not only too a defensive approach but also that teams playing it can get caught out. Pardew has been using it through the run of winning games, but thats no credit to the system as often it has only been when the system has been changed that the result has come. The game against MK Dons was a prime example, where 4-5-1 resulted in Saints being a goal down at half-time, but 4-4-2 brought 3 goals in the second half. Disapointing then to see Pards still saying the system will continue.

Sorry but I don't think Pards has got it 100% yet. He's definitely assembled a great squad, and now he needs to firm up some of the loans into signings, but he persisted with 4-5-1 and it was only when that format had seen us go a goal down that he changed to 4-4-2. All credit to him for the change, but lets see Connelly on from the start next week.

Does this suggest that Aaron Martin may be seen as a squad player this season, or just that Thomas and Perry provide adequate cover for Trotman and Jaidi?

I also had contacts at Eastleigh Borough Council at the time, and there was simply too much opposition to Stoneham amongst elected councillors for the plan to be approved. To suggest thet the club, the board, or the chairman had 'upset' anyone is entirely wrong, the opposition of councillors was based on what those individuals perceived as public opposition in the borough. In other words, rightly or wrongly, they thought they were doing what their electors wanted in opposing the move.

Life is cruel. Feel very sorry for Ron, given the struggles he's had in recent years.

Sorrry, understand where you are coming from, but to play Mellis and leave a Prem standard striker sitting on the bench seems an unlikely decision. If Connolly plays it will be 4-4-2 instead of 4-5-1, which for a home game would seem the right decision anyway. If Pards goes with that, both Wotton and Morgan will be retained in midfield, instead of one of them dropping out if Lallana were fit.

We might find this extra interesting because of the local rivalry, but its a very bad sign of what is going wrong with English football. What about when Marcus Leibherr decides to sell up, which will happen at some point? Its great at the momentbut who might Saints next owner be? Football clubs, privately owned by a single individual are an unhealthy development and we should hope that some form of shared ownership with a guaranteed local input will one day be imposed by the football authorrities.

mmmmm

As some people have suggested, Pardew may be talking down the prospects to take pressure off his players by trying to reduce fans expectations. But reading between the lines also suggests that he won't start with Connolly. I hope he isn't really being too cautious and planning to stick with another 4-5-1 defensive line-up. If he goes with Rickie and Connolly up front he'll really have the fans fired up.

Agreed, I think players will see this as the place to be as a route to the CCC in 2011.

Opinion and Fact are entirely different things and should not be confused. Facts cannot be influenced or changed whereas Opinion is just an individual's impression. Opinions about future events are valid but they are not fact until or unless the event occurs.

Pards has made it very clear that the squad is not only too big, but is far too big. He's got a few out on loan, but maybe some he has loaned are players he sees as coming back improved. Is there likely to be big clear out and who could be transferred in Jan, and who might not be on the retained list at the end of the season? Also, which of the loanees we have here do we think Pardew will try to sign permanently (Trotman, I hope for one).

This is a very fair criticism of the main media who seem to think that there is more interest in a team if its in the Prem, whereas fans remain interested in their team regardless of which league its playing in. The publicity machine tries to promote the Prem just for the money. But thats the wat it is, so Saints Player is the only way of countering it. If I'm not at a game, then whenever I can't get Radio Solent I listen on Saints Player and avoid having all the meaningless stuff on TV or the broadcast radio, about games in other leagues.

I don't include Antonio, Mellis, Trotman or Waigo as all are loans, but of them, Trotman and Waigo are making an impact, whist Antonio hasn't been here long enough to assess properly. Mellis is perhaps the one with most doubt. Of the signings, Connolly, Harding, Hammond, Jaidi, Lambert and Murty, all are excellent but I'd pick out Jaidi as having had the most impact in settling the CB problem and although Lambert is a star player I have a feeling tht Connolly could be absolutely exceptional, but it is early days to put him ahead of Ricky as yet.

Nothing against WGS who was an excellent appointment by Lowe when people were unsure about him, but who did a good job at Saints and raised the club's profile, but whoever is lined up for the Boro job, I'd like to see them miss promotion, just to show another chairman that changing the manager is not the answer. There are only 3 promotion places and even if all the managers in the CCC are brilliant, only three of them can get promotion.

But it wouldn't be a return to what the side was before because the extra threat of Connolly would bolster the midfield play, putting more attacking pressure on the opponents and easing the defensive pressure on us. Reluctantly, as we can't play 12, it would have to be Wotton for me as I think Morgan edges it over him but its a close call.

I don't disagree, but it is Lallana who is currently top scorer with 8 goals against Rickie's 7 and if Adam had been taking the penalties he could be on 11 with Rickie on 4.

If Lambert, Connolly and Lallana are all on the pitch, who should be the penalty taker? With three proven goal scorers its a great problem to have. Rickie has the job at the moment, but if Connolly begins to play 90 minutes, should the role be shared? Is this something Pardew will have decided beforehand, or do the players decide on the way things are in the game? For example, if someone had scored two goals, would they be given the hatrick chance from the spot, whoever it was?

The Echo is now saying the deal is done. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/ Really do wish him well. Having one or two local players in the team is important to the fans and although it may be a time before he makes the first team, Pardew would not be signing him for a career in the reserves. How good he can become, we shall have to wait and see but he is already said to be a very good player and with full time training and professional coaching he can only improve further.